The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1887-02-09
COVENANT WITH ABRAM.
NOTES ON THE INTERNATIONAL.
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.

IOF 'tultuhSp rod. lo~.lstSSOn 1CNtt Gr1,
XIV, 6~-1s-Goidcn Text, Con. XIV, L.
Critical ana Practical Notes by Samuel
Ives Curiiss, PHI. ID, -. d., OF Chicago.
lntroluctioi.-God had promised Abrm
That lc should become u great mutton; that
lie would make his seed rs the dust of tho
earth, and that He would give him the land
Of Canaan, AS yot there WAS no fulnllmcnt
OF either promise. Abrnm had no son, lo
did not OWL Il foot of land compare Acts vii,
81, and the years were slipping fast away. 1t
is for this reason TINT God appears to him in
n vision md comforts him with tie ussur-
nnro hat llo is his shield und Tint Ills reward
Shall he exceeding great Qevis~d edition,
nIniEin). Abranl ut once thinks of an IN.
crease of his possessions, and nsks God why
lIc Should give him anything moro when ho
has no cllild. God therefore ronoHs tho
promise that lc shall have IL son.
THE LESSON.
Ills rostcrity Like tho Stars ". 5).-IIc
tllen lefds linn out and bids him look toward
heaven, and count, if ho is able, tho stars,
which arc sparkling with all the b%rilliancy of
nj Oriental sky. Whit M inspiring similc!
His seed was to DO MS numerous us the stars,
aud many Of them were to shine as the stars
until thoy should palo before tho brightness
Of the star Of Bethlehem. Compare Num-.
xiv, II and Row. xxi, 1G)
Justification by Faith ". 0.--This verse re
cords two great fncts: /. Abrnm beloved in
jehovah; =. jehovah counted or rrcloncl il
to him rs righteousness. Abrams lite, rs VIC
shall see, was one grand example of faith.
lIo left his fathers house because he believed
in jehovah AT tho most trying periods oil
his career, when other mems faith would lny0
failed, his triumpicd. Airnm did not lave
Gods written word but no followed Coils
will, us fer as lie knew it, closely. Whatever
might be his failings, lc had tho spirit of
obedience. In this particular instance ho he
lievcd Jcliorah's promise that ho should have
Il son. God accepted his faith as righteous
ness, that is, right living. But Abrams faith
and works won't together (Jamcs il, 2l-25).
He did the things which jehovah commanded
lie, cause he believed in jehovah. He was
rccding, us tho Psalmist says, Oh fuithfulness,
and was ono of tho Just, described by the
prophet, who live by faith. His life fur
nislles the illustration Of tho apostolic doctrine
Gal. iii, g.; Hob. y, 3S), which became he key
note of the German Reformation.
Tho Sign of the Covenant Tvs. z, Sal
though he believes that he is to have Il son, he
is still in doubt about tho lind. But God tells
him that he has brought linn out Of Ur Of tho
Chaldccs to givc him tho land. Abrnm asks
Il sign. God condcsccnds to give it to him, us
he afterwarl condescendcd to give signs TO
Gideon tJudgcs vi, IL, 1910, tIe2chiah III
Kings Xxx, SID and oven to Ahaz isaiah vii,
lid.
VS.. o, 10. Tn sign which God gave Abram
was a covenant. lii commercial Language it
was u contract TINT he entered into with him.
1t was rs though two people should make n
deposit OF n large amount Of money, to be
held by some trustworthy person, and should
ngrco by n written contract, properly signed
and sealed before n notary, tl,at in case either
Of them lsh9opylld ffail to fgtlllll the; conditions odf
tho 'ngreonicnS Ks%ouldS IoTfcit tho slMii 81
money to tho other.
Lifc, however, is more precious tlnn money.
III this covenant jehovah condesconds to
stand OH cQunl terms with Abram, and thus
really promises, rs il ho were ii man, that IL
lie docs not fulfill tho conditions Of tho cove
mint he will forfeit his life compare Jeremiah
xxXiy, ~, 1920. Covenant in Hebrew sig
miles something that is cut. The Hebrews
speak OF cutting n covenant whore wo speak
Of making q covenant. Abram was to pre-
pnro tho preliminnrics. Ho was to tako n
hcifcr, u slo goat and II lamb, each 3 years
OF ago, and was to divide them into two equal
parts, putting ono-hnlf on ono sido and the
other hnH on tho other, leaving room to walk
between tho parts. IIo also took q turtle
dove and II young pigeon, but llo did not di-
vide them. Tho contract by which the land
Of Canaan was to bo conveyed to Abram, ms
we might shy, was ready to he signed and
6enled, lut before this takes place no must
understand it's provisions.
Conditions of tho Covenant Tvs. 1l-lG).-
These arc indicated in the following verses.
Naturally, but flttingly, tho birds of prey,
who forcsllndow what is to DO revealed to
him, light upon tho carcasses, and ho drives
them away. AS tho sun Is going down II
deep sleep falls upon Abroni. 1t is the samo
kind of sleep that Adam is said to have slept
when Eve was created. Tho birds Of prey,
which may be regarded rs n symbol OF evil,
arc followed by the horror of n great dirk
moss. Through these natural p%ortenis his
mind is prepared for tho unwclcomo an
nomnccmcrt regarding his postcrity. His
seed IS to bo Il stranger in Il land that is not
theirs. They nre TO servo the owners of that
land, who will Cypress them 100 years. But
OH that nation God will visit soro judg.
mcnts.
A%ftcrward Abrams descendants are to
come out with great possessions. Abran is
to so to his fathers III peace. In this passage
thcro Is All intimntion Of existence after
death. IIo is to enjoy tho greatest Of tenn
poral blessings, according to tho Old Tesla
ment--nallcly, that Of long lifo CEx. Xxx, 10;
Prov. Iii, 9; Isa. ky, 20,; no Is to DO buried
iii a good old age. In tho fourth coronation,
or in 400 years, reckoning tho word genera
ton in its widest Significance of 100 years, his
children aro to return Is Canaan. -Four hun
drcl mere is simply II round number, tho OK
act number being i3D years Tx. xii, i0-ll;
compare Gal. Iii, ~. Ono thing is men.
toned which stands in tho way OF Abrams
immediate possession OF the lnnd--the III
EQUITY of tho Amorito is not full. This Is sig.
niiicant language. God is slow in executing
his judgments. Ho does not sweep man from
tho earth through tho food until it is full OF